Some Wise Words From Pope Francis

Pope Francis I

I've never been a fan of the idea of a papacy, but I find a lot to like about Pope Francis I. Here is a statement in his October 17 homily that I especially resonate with in this election season:

“The faith passes, so to speak, through a distiller and becomes ideology. And ideology does not beckon. In ideologies there is not Jesus: in his tenderness, his love, his meekness. And ideologies are rigid, always. Of every sign, rigid. And when a Christian becomes a disciple of the ideology, he has lost the faith: he is no longer a disciple of Jesus, he is a disciple of this attitude of thought… For this reason Jesus said to them: ‘You have taken away the key of knowledge.’ The knowledge of Jesus is transformed into an ideological and also moralistic knowledge...

Jesus told us: “You burden the shoulders of people [with] many things; only one is necessary.” (Ideology), therefore, is the spiritual and mental thought process of one who wants to keep the key in his pocket and the door closed... Ideology frightens, ideology chases away the people, distances the people... it is a serious illness... but it is not new, eh? Already the Apostle John, in his first Letter, spoke of this. Christians who lose the faith and prefer the ideologies. His attitude is: Be rigid, moralistic, ethical, but without kindness.... But why is it that a Christian can become like this? Just one thing: this Christian does not pray. And if there is no prayer, you always close the door.”